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Gunther von Hagens found it necessary to establish the Institute for
Plastination (IfP) in 1993 because the space and technical facilities
available at the University of Heidelberg were no longer adequate for
the growing demands of Plastination. The IfP in Heidelberg was where
the techniques for preparing whole-body plastinates and transparent
slices of whole bodies were perfected. The complexity and work involved
in preparing these specimens far exceeds the capacity of most
interested institutes. Preparing a technically correct, whole-body
plastinate does, after all, require 1000 to 1500 man-hours.
The
aim of the IfP is to produce human specimens and make them available
both for basic and continuing medical training as well as for the
general medical education of the public. The specimens are prepared
solely for this purpose and only passed on directly to recognized
educational and research establishments and scientific museums, but not
to private individuals or dealers. The objectives of the IfP can be summarized as follows: Improving overall anatomical instruction
The IfP produces high-quality educational specimens for anatomical instruction at universities and other teaching institutions. Improving awareness of medical issues, particularly among the general public
The IfP produces plastinates aimed at educating non-medical
professionals and restores public access to the anatomy of the human
body. Popularizing and developing plastination techniques
The IfP disseminates plastination expertise around the world, allowing
other teaching institutions to profit from this unique process. The IfP
also pursues scientific objectives and strives continually to develop
and refine the techniques of Plastination and the resulting anatomical
specimens. It is aided in these endeavors by visiting scientists and
scholarship holders from national and international universities.
There
are now more than 400 plastination laboratories in 40 countries around
the world using Plastination to prepare specimens for academic study.
Despite all of the progress made to date, the need for further research
is immense. Tests need to be performed, for instance, on new polymers
that could be used to retain the color of tissues and to improve
plastination results for specimens such as the eye, which are difficult
to preserve. Every two years, participants at the International
Plastination Conference have the opportunity of exhibiting the
plastinates that they have produced. In addition, the "International
Society for Plastination" and its publication "The Journal of the
International Society for Plastination" provide additional forums for
experts in the field to exchange information concerning advances in the
scientific application of the process. Current issues include how slice
Plastinates can be used to show complex systems such as the blood
supply to the bones of the wrist or how to display subtle structures
such as the muscles and nerves surrounding the prostate. These tissues
are critical for proper sexual functioning and understanding them is an
extremely important means of obtaining precision when planning delicate
surgical procedures.
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